Earl Richard Shell, age 86, of Trinidad, CO, passed away on January 31, 2018 at the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home in Walsenburg, CO.
In keeping with the wishes of Earl, there will be no funeral services. His family will celebrate his life at a later date.
Earl was born in Trinidad, CO to Harry and Edna Shell on May 18, 1931. He graduated from Trinidad High School in 1949. He married Ruth Liechty on December 30, 1956. After high school, he attended Trinidad State Junior College and later received a degree in Computer Programming from Southern Colorado State College in Pueblo in 1969. In 1951, he hired out as a brakeman on the C&S Railroad. In 1952 he joined the Navy serving in the Korean War. He retired as a conductor from the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1993.
Earl is survived by his wife Ruth, his children, Melissa and her husband Tim Dixon, John and his wife Yvonne, and Rachel and her husband Brad Siler, several grandchildren, and his sister Betty.
During Earl’s life, he enjoyed woodworking, golf, working in his yard, having coffee with friends, and spending time with his family. He played for the Trinidad Red Sox baseball team; and as an “old man”, he played slow pitch. He had loyal friends who picked him up regularly for coffee after he could no longer drive. He will always be remembered for his fierce independence and persistence, his remarkable sense of humor, and his extraordinary work ethic.
Arrangements made under the direction of the Comi Funeral Home
